Eel Pie Studios

Last updated

View of the former Eel Pie Studios building beside the River Thames near Richmond The Boathouse and mooring.jpg
View of the former Eel Pie Studios building beside the River Thames near Richmond

Eel Pie Recording Studios, formerly Oceanic, was a recording studio located in The Boathouse, Twickenham on the banks of the River Thames in Ranelagh Drive, by Twickenham Bridge, West London, [1] and also simultaneously at No. 45 Broadwick Street, Soho, London. The name for the studios came from the nearby Eel Pie Island, which was known as a major jazz and blues venue in the 1960s. [2]

The building in Twickenham was originally a 1960s boathouse, and its riverside location allowed Pete Townshend to commute there by boat, having lost his driving licence. [3] From 1981 the studios were run as a commercial operation and were the location for a number of notable rock and pop recordings. Artists who recorded at Eel Pie Studios include Pete Townshend, The Who, Roger Waters, A-ha, Rachel Fuller, Siouxsie and the Banshees and Thin Lizzy. [4] In the 1990s, the studio was occupied by the band Cocteau Twins, who called it September Sound, [5] and The Lightning Seeds.

Pete Townshend sold the studios in 2008 and the building was converted into a private residence.

'Eel Pie' had earlier been used as the name for a series of Pete Townshend's home studios, where he recorded many song demos. His 1972 album, Who Came First , was recorded at home, as were some recordings by The Who circa 1970. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pete Townshend</span> British musician (born 1945)

Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend is an English musician. He is the co-founder, leader, guitarist, second lead vocalist and principal songwriter of the Who, one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s and 1970s. His aggressive playing style and innovative songwriting techniques, with the Who and in other projects, have earned him critical acclaim.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roger Daltrey</span> English musician and lead vocalist of The Who

Roger Harry Daltrey is an English singer, musician and actor. He is a co-founder and the lead singer of the rock band the Who.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glyn Johns</span> English music producer (born 1942)

Glyn Thomas Johns is an English recording engineer and record producer. He has worked with many of the most famous rock recording acts from both the UK and abroad, such as the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, the Who, Led Zeppelin, the Kinks, Eagles, Bob Dylan, the Band, Eric Clapton, the Clash, the Steve Miller Band, Small Faces, the Ozark Mountain Daredevils and Joan Armatrading.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eel Pie Island</span> Small island in the River Thames in London, England

Eel Pie Island is an 8.935-acre (3.6 ha) island in the River Thames at Twickenham in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is on the maintained minimum head of water above the only lock on the Tideway and is accessible by boat or from the left bank by footbridge. The island had a club that was a major venue for jazz and blues in the 1960s.

<i>Empty Glass</i> 1980 studio album by Pete Townshend

Empty Glass is the second solo studio album by English rock musician Pete Townshend, and his first composed of original material, released on 21 April 1980 by Atco Records.

<i>White City: A Novel</i> 1985 studio album by Pete Townshend

White City: A Novel is the fourth solo studio album by English rock musician Pete Townshend, released on 11 November 1985 by Atco Records. The album was produced by Chris Thomas and it was recorded by Bill Price at three separate recording studios in London, England: both of the Eel Pie studios, and A.I.R.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Won't Get Fooled Again</span> 1971 single by the Who

"Won't Get Fooled Again" is a song by the English rock band the Who, written by Pete Townshend. It was released as a single in June 1971, reaching the top 10 in the UK, while the full eight-and-a-half-minute version appears as the final track on the band's 1971 album Who's Next, released that August. In the US, the single entered Billboard on 17 July, reaching No. 15.

<i>All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes</i> 1982 studio album by Pete Townshend

All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes is the third solo studio album by English rock musician Pete Townshend, released on 14 June 1982 by Atco Records. Chris Thomas produced the album and it was recorded by Bill Price at three separate recording studios in London, England, which were Eel Pie, A.I.R. and Wessex. The album peaked at No. 32 on the UK Albums Chart, and at No. 26 on the US Billboard 200.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Can't Explain</span> Original song written and composed by Pete Townshend

"I Can't Explain" is a song by English rock band the Who, written by Pete Townshend, and produced by Shel Talmy. The song was released as a single on 15 January 1965 in the United Kingdom, by Brunswick, and by Decca in America, in December 1964. It was the band's second single release and first under the Who name.

<i>Then and Now</i> (The Who album) 2004 compilation album by the Who

Then and Now is a 2004 greatest hits compilation album by The Who released internationally by Polydor Records and by Geffen Records in the United States. It features 18 Who classics and two new tracks—"Real Good Looking Boy" and "Old Red Wine"—which were the first Who originals since "Dig" from Pete Townshend's 1989 album The Iron Man. "Real Good Looking Boy" is a tribute to Elvis Presley, and "Old Red Wine" is a tribute to former band member John Entwistle, who died in 2002. The album was re-released in 2007 and replaced "Old Red Wine" with "It's Not Enough" from the 2006 album Endless Wire and "Summertime Blues" was replaced by "Baba O'Riley".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Can See for Miles</span> 1967 song by the Who

"I Can See for Miles" is a song by the English rock band the Who, recorded for the band's 1967 album The Who Sell Out. Written by guitarist Pete Townshend, it was the only song from the album to be released as a single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chapel House, Twickenham</span> House at 15 Montpelier Row, Twickenham, London

Chapel House, now No. 15, Montpelier Row, Twickenham, is a house in Greater London, England. The house has also been called Tennyson House and Holyrood House. It was occupied at one time by Alfred Tennyson, and poet Walter de la Mare lived in the same row nearly a hundred years later. The house was owned for many years by musician Pete Townshend, principal songwriter of The Who.

Eel Pie Publishing was a publishing house founded by musician and author Pete Townshend in 1977, and named after Eel Pie Island. It was part of the Eelpie Group of Companies including Eel Pie Recording Production Ltd which was set up in 1970 by Pete Townshend.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Real Good Looking Boy</span> The Who song

"Real Good Looking Boy" is a song written by the guitarist of the British rock band The Who, Pete Townshend. It was originally released in 2004 on the compilation album Then and Now, and was one of two new songs on that album, the other being "Old Red Wine". Together, they were the first new songs released by the Who for 15 years. It was later released as an edited single backed with the aforementioned song. "Real Good Looking Boy" was later performed in the 2007 rock musical The Boy Who Heard Music. The song peaked at #28 on the Heritage rock chart. Bassist Greg Lake and drummer Zak Starkey, as well as keyboardist John "Rabbit" Bundrick played on this song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hammerton's Ferry</span> Pedestrian and cycle ferry service across the River Thames

Hammerton's Ferry is a pedestrian and cycle ferry service across the River Thames in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, London, England. The ferry links the river's northern bank near Marble Hill House in Twickenham with its southern bank near Ham House in Ham. It is one of only four remaining ferry routes in London not to be replaced by a bridge or tunnel.

<i>Live: The Fillmore</i> 2000 live album by Pete Townshend

Live: The Filmore is a live recording by Pete Townshend. It was recorded at The Fillmore in San Francisco, California on 30 April 1996 and released 30 October 2000 by UK company Eel Pie Recording Productions Ltd. Townshend was accompanied by Jon Carin on keyboards.

<i>John Otway & Wild Willy Barrett</i> 1976 studio album by John Otway, & Wild Willy Barrett

John Otway & Wild Willy Barrett is the 1976 debut album by English folk singer-songwriter duo John Otway and Wild Willy Barrett. Released first on their own Extracked Records, the album is a collection of recordings made between 1971 and 1976.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Boathouse, Twickenham</span> Business in London, England

The Boathouse is a commercial property located at Ranelagh Drive, Twickenham in England, which housed music and film studios.

<i>Method Music</i> 2012 studio album by Lawrence Ball

Method Music is a double-album of electronic music by the English composer and mathematician Lawrence Ball created using the compositional system that would become The Lifehouse Method, an online-based compositional project conceived by Pete Townshend of The Who to compose customized algorithmically-generated musical portraits. The album's music evolved from tests of the portraiture system.

<i>O Parvardigar</i> (EP) 2001 EP by Pete Townshend

O' Parvardigar is a 2001 EP by Pete Townshend devoted to his song O' Parvardigar which in turn is based on Meher Baba's Parvardigar Prayer. The EP, which was released on Townshend's own label Eel Pie, contains three versions of the song—a 1972 studio version, a live version recorded in India, and a German-language version recorded for the opening of a European Baba Centre.

References

  1. "Eel Pie Studios". Philsbook.com. Archived from the original on 29 December 2013. Retrieved 11 August 2014.
  2. "Home that took architect 20 years to build is wrecked in fire". Evening Standard. 14 September 2009. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  3. "Eel Pie Studios". 29 December 2013. Archived from the original on 29 December 2013. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  4. "Eel Pie Studios". 29 December 2013. Archived from the original on 29 December 2013. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  5. "Fraser-Guided Melodies". cocteautwins.com. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  6. Swanson, Dave. "45 Years Ago: Pete Townshend Steps Out Solo on 'Who Came First'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 6 August 2020.

51°27′44″N0°19′09″W / 51.4623°N 0.3192°W / 51.4623; -0.3192